Fluorite on Galena with Sphalerite

Item Description

The famous Elmwood Mine in Tennessee is well-known famous for producing beautifully crystallized display specimens, and the fact that there are only a handful of minerals found at this mine makes them more impressive in my mind. These minerals are certainly iconic, and some of the most recognizable specimens in the world. This large miniature / small cabinet sized specimen features a coverage of gemmy, rather lustrous, good quality, sharp, purple cubic crystals of Fluorite measuring up to 8 mm on edge sitting on a hefty metallic grey cube of Galena measuring 3.7 cm on edge, associated with classic reddish-brown "Ruby Jack" Sphalerite. Good quality for the material, no major damage, though a bit of roughness can be seen, and it's aesthetic to boot. This piece is around 40+ years old, and is a worthwhile display piece especially coming from this prominent and celebrated zinc ore body!
This piece comes from the personal collection of Colorado mining legend, Dave Bergman, the maternal grandfather of Brian Kosnar. Dave is now retired from mining, but he worked for decades in various mines underground in Colorado, as a miner, mechanic, engineer, shift boss and foreman. His biggest claim to fame is that he was the foreman and the primary person in charge of mining and specimen recovery at the Sweet Home Mine in Colorado in the 1970s alongside his son-in-law, Rich Kosnar. This project what was the FIRST ever operation for specimen recovery at this historic locality. A full-page photograph of Dave can be seen mining underground at the Sweet Home in on page 58 of Peter Bancroft's book "Gem and Crystal Treasures".